Julie Taylor for Queen

I love pilot season.So do lots of people, of course. It's like the draft pick for TV nerds. It's just so exciting when a show you've been hearing about gets picked up, or when you hear there's a chance that the star you love might be back on TV. And you can follow it as much or as little as you want, and still get something out of it. Here's how to play: take the small amounts of concrete information you have; speculate endlessly.

So the news late yesterday broke that Aimee Teegarden (there were some crazy spellings flying fast and loose yesterday but I feel comfortable we've got the full story here) has signed on to play the lead role, “America”, in a pilot called "The Selection", which is described as a Hunger Games-style epic romance where, 300 years in the future, she's chosen as a contender to be queen of a nation at war.

There's lots to like here. The pilot's based on a book series that's not even out yet, and it's being showrun by a writing team - Sarah Fain and Elizabeth Craft - that I really admire.

But I am super excited by Teegarden as lead. All FNL fawning aside, there is something about Aimee T that always struck me as a little more ...solid than most young actors of her age. Something about the way her eyes were so level and un-panicky gives her a gravitas.

I know there were many of you who were exhausted by and of Julie, and yes, the spoiled-not-going-back-to-Burleson girl grew tiresome, even if it was all going to somewhere good. That intentionally vague line was for Sasha and her Cory who are gulping down the show, finally, and openly weeping about it.

(Lainey: here’s why I nag you again - watch FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.)

But I think that was Julie's necessary path and meanwhile, the actress was learning something from all those hours in that Texas house watching Connie Britton be amazing. I feel like she learned presence - Julie had it by the end. I would love if Aimee did too.

And I'm excited to see her as the leader. I don't know anything more about this project than what I've written, but can't you see Teegarden leading the people? Her face all smug and her hair all bright? I hope she gets to keep it long. Makes me think of Daenerys Targaryen, right?